WASHINGTON - The presence of partner nations and the newly formed task force to reduce the number of pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden seem to be working, the commander of Combined Task Force 151 said.

WASHINGTON - Advanced ocean-bottom mapping technologies have enhanced the Navy’s ability to navigate safely throughout the world and have helped support disaster assistance and humanitarian relief operations, the Navy’s oldest active diver said.

BAGHDAD - In anticipation of the nationwide provincial elections, Iraq’s Center for Military Values, Principles and Leadership Development hosted a conference for senior military leaders on the role of the military in a democracy.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - The commander of U.S. Southern Command reaffirmed the United States’ strategic partnership with Honduras and praised the bilateral and interagency cooperation that is delivering tangible success.

WASHINGTON - The military commissions system created in 2006 to try accused terrorists held at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, must comply with President Barack Obama’s directive to suspend all legal proceedings there, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces, having helped their Iraqi counterparts for more than a month prepare for the country’s Jan. 31 provincial elections, are now stepping back, confident their planning and practice has paid off.

WASHINGTON - Some Air Force fighter pilots may miss out on watching Super Bowl XLIII, but for a worthy cause. They will be flying to protect the skies around Raymond James Stadium during the Feb. 1 game in Tampa, Fla.

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops and civilians are seeing the fruits of their labor in Iraq, where they are celebrating completed projects and humanitarian efforts that build both infrastructure and relationships.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army Southern European Task Force has assumed its new role as the Army component for U.S. Africa Command, an effort in part to build relationships with African army organizations.

WASHINGTON - Iraq and Afghanistan likely will be among the discussion topics when President Barack Obama makes his first visit to the Pentagon to meet with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

WASHINGTON - Chris Jackson, a civilian journalist, received a top Navy honor for his heroism in saving a Marine’s life. "Chris forgot about being a reporter that day and became one of our brothers," said Sgt. Courtney Rauch.

WASHINGTON - The most challenging security threat troubling the United States lies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and it will take cooperation from throughout the region and support from much of the world to reach success, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

WASHINGTON - One of the main challenges facing the Defense Department is how the department acquires goods and services and manages the taxpayers’ money, Secretary Robert M. Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

WASHINGTON - Afghanistan poses the greatest military challenge to the United States today, and President Barack Obama has made that country a top priority for the Defense Department, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

WASHINGTON - As deployed U.S. troops watch the Arizona Cardinals take on the Pittsburgh Steelers during Super Bowl XLIII, there’s likely to be a special sense of commemoration at Forward Operating Base Tillman in Afghanistan.

AT SEA ABOARD USS MAHAN - The crew of guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan is coordinating efforts of more than a dozen nations deterring piracy in the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

KONAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - An extensive vaccination drive targeting polio has started in Afghanistan's Konar province, thanks to the efforts of the provincial reconstruction team and government officials from the province.

CAMP ECHO, Iraq - Military dogs have served in the U.S. armed forces and deployed to combat theaters since World War I, and continue to protect servicemembers and civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq today.

WASHINGTON - As Iraqis prepare to choose their provincial leadership in their first nationwide elections in three years, an Army colonel near the end of a 14-month tour told Pentagon reporters he’s amazed by the progress the country has made.

WASHINGTON - Greatly reduced violence in Iraq over the past year has aided in the completion of a multitude of reconstruction projects that benefit the Iraqi people, a senior U.S. military officer posted there said.

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti - In an effort to save three Americans from a capsized sailboat, servicemembers from U.S. Africa Command's Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa participated in a three-day international rescue operation 260 miles off the coast of Madagascar.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi soldiers and police, “Sons of Iraq” civilian security group members and U.S. soldiers seized several weapons caches and arrested two suspected roadside bombers during raids conducted throughout the Baghdad area.

WASHINGTON - As the Defense Department prepares plans to close the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, defense officials acknowledge the possibility that released detainees could return to the battlefield.

WASHINGTON - Each U.S. military service secretary has agreed to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ request to stay in office for at least several weeks to help ensure the Defense Department’s smooth transition under the Obama administration, Pentagon officials said.

SUFFOLK, Va. - As U.S. Joint Forces Command pursues capability improvements over the long term, its experimentation chief is keeping one eye focused on current needs -- as defined by warfighters themselves.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has named former Maine Sen. George Mitchell as the special envoy for Middle East peace and Richard Holbrooke as the special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

WASHINGTON - In light of the growing salmonella outbreak linked to products containing peanut butter, servicemembers are being urged to use caution should they receive these types of snacks in care packages.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama’s decision to close the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has made a positive impression in the world community, and that will assist America in its fight against global terrorism, the Defense Department’s top official said.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has signed off on the Capstone Concept for Joint Operations, a document the military will use to help determine future capability development for the joint force in 2016 through 2028.

WASHINGTON - The members of agricultural development teams in Afghanistan are living examples of the symbol of the National Guard: a Minuteman with a musket in one hand and the other hand resting on a plow.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Coalition forces killed six armed Taliban militants and detained another during an operation to disrupt the Taliban's foreign-fighter and roadside-bomb networks in Afghanistan's Zabol province.

WASHINGTON - Rich Glasgow and his son, Robert, served in different military services at different times, but they know what it’s like to deal with the same psychological enemy. And both have recommendations for the military.

WASHINGTON - As Wyoming prepares for the largest National Guard deployment in state history, much of the planning has gone into helping those who will be left behind for a year in communities scattered across the rural state.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's administration moved quickly to make its positions on defense and other issues available around the globe, posting agendas on the White House’s official Web site minutes after he took the oath of office.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has promised to deliver the care and benefits the nation’s military veterans deserve while transforming the Department of Veterans Affairs into a 21st century organization.

WASHINGTON - Afghanistan, “dwell time” at home stations between deployments and the health of the force are at the forefront of concerns the Defense Department must address, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

WASHINGTON - Responding to a presidential directive, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates ordered a suspension of active military commission proceedings at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

AT SEA ABOARD USS SAN ANTONIO - Navy and Coast Guard boarding teams are working together to ensure safe operations in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Red Sea and Indian Ocean as part of a multinational counter-piracy task force.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama spent part of his first full day in office meeting with his National Security Council, including Pentagon and military leaders with direct responsibility for operations in Iraq.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Members of the provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province visited Zirat village to assess the effectiveness of completed projects and to develop ideas for future initiatives.

ARLINGTON, Va. - The inauguration of the 44th president marked the Guard’s largest contribution to a presidential inauguration since Minutemen gathered for the First Muster in Massachusetts more than 372 years ago.

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. - The U.S. military bid farewell to the outgoing commander in chief during a stirring and emotional departure ceremony in which he called leading men and women in uniform the highlight of his presidency.

ARLINGTON, Va. - With a footprint four times larger than in any prior inauguration, the National Guard's support to the new commander in chief on Inauguration Day requires extraordinary coordination and cooperation.

WASHINGTON - During the nation’s 56th presidential inauguration today, some 9,300 members of the National Guard will be working to provide transport, traffic control and medical and logistical support, as well as performing in the parade.

WASHINGTON - Jeh C. Johnson, the nominee for the Defense Department’s general counsel, said he would foster collaborative relationships between himself and military lawyers at all levels to best advise the defense secretary.

WASHINGTON - Michelle A. Flournoy, the president-elect's pick for undersecretary of defense for policy, vowed to rebalance U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan and advance U.S. security interests in other parts of the world.

WASHINGTON - Robert Hale, president-elect Barack Obama’s choice to be the Defense Department’s chief financial officer, said his first priority would be to help the department obtain the resources to meet the country's national security objectives.

WASHINGTON - William Lynn, the nominee to be deputy defense secretary, promised the Senate Armed Services Committee he will do his utmost to improve processes in the “sometimes vast and unwieldy bureaucracy” of the Defense Department.

WASHINGTON - Cadets and midshipmen from the service academies are making final preparations before marching in the inaugural parade to pay tribute to the commander in chief they will serve as future officers.

WASHINGTON - As the Wyoming Army National Guard ramps up for the largest deployment in the state’s history, leaders say getting a year and a half’s notice has helped better prepare soldiers and families.

WASHINGTON - As Pentagon employees celebrated what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.’s 80th birthday, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told them about an early participant in the struggle for equal rights, a young African-American sailor.

WASHINGTON - President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs promised senators at his confirmation hearing that he will transform the department into a 21st-century organization.

WASHINGTON - With Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and President-elect Barack Obama advocating closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba, the Defense Department is working to protect the American people and treat detainees properly.

WASHINGTON - It seems fitting that it was a former Marine who captured the measure of retired Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace in the official portrait that now hangs in the Pentagon with those of others who have served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

WASHINGTON - Four people nominated to serve in the Defense Department in President-elect Barack Obama’s administration are to appear before the Senate Armed Forces Committee on Jan. 15 for confirmation hearings.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Air Force Maj. Kevin Mantovani has been recognized for his work in building Afghanistan's air force. The assignment has been the highlight of his career, the major said. “I don’t know if I will have the opportunity to do this level of work again,” he added.

SAN ANTONIO - More than 750 people from the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and private enterprise -- including social workers, chaplains, researchers, and family members – are attending a suicide-prevention conference.

FORT VALLEY, Ga. - Army Reserve soldiers conducted an airborne jump for a group of civilian employers during the first Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve “Boss-lift” event for the 421st Quartermaster Company, 143rd Sustainment Command.

WASHINGTON - Whatever decisions President-elect Barack Obama makes regarding Iraq and Afghanistan, the military is prepared to carry them out, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in an interview on the CBS-TV show “60 Minutes.”

WASHINGTON - A troop-support group is gearing up for the early part of the new year, collecting Valentine, Easter and St. Patrick Day cards and gifts for servicemembers and the health professionals who take care of them.

WASHINGTON - The military is used to change-of-command ceremonies, but none compare to the ceremonial and security role servicemembers have played in presidential inaugurations dating back to the beginning of the republic.

WASHINGTON - From providing musical performances to acting as key personnel during the swearing-in process, hundreds of servicemembers gathered around the nation’s capital to support the 56th Presidential Inaugural rehearsal.

WASHINGTON - More than 40 photographers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard are among the troops serving as part of the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee. They'll capture the activities behind the scenes and on Inauguration Day.

WASHINGTON - The Army’s adjutant general apologized on behalf of the Army for a printing error that resulted in delivering 7,000 letters without a by-name salutation to family members who lost a soldier in operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s increasing role in global health is essential in improving security in troubled nations and minimizing conflict in others, the Pentagon’s top medical official said.

WASHINGTON - The United States has the opportunity to successfully conclude the American effort in Iraq and gain a long-term democratic partner in the Middle East, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said.

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. - The U.S. Air Force band is preparing to march in the presidential inauguration parade. “We play for a lot of important functions, but this is as important as it gets,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Bowers.

INDIAN HEAD, Md. - A highly specialized unit tasked to respond to domestic chemical or biological incidents recently dealt with a mock disaster during training at the Naval Support Facility in Indian Head, Md.

WASHINGTON - After months of evaluating the criteria, Defense Department officials have decided against the notion of awarding the Purple Heart to military members who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

WASHINGTON - Top Defense Department leaders honored President George W. Bush at a farewell ceremony for his deep commitment to the men and women in uniform and their families and the trust he instilled as he led them through challenging times.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, praised President George W. Bush as a patriot who has championed America's military members while standing up to terrorists who threaten the United States.

CAMP LIBERY, Iraq - Army Sgt. Timmothy Boyd has developed a reputation for exceeding expectations. Boyd is working on his master’s degree in computer science, but makes time to help friends with computer problems.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Marines raised the American flag during the dedication ceremony for the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker declared “a new era” for Iraq and the Iraqi-U.S. relationship.

WASHINGTON - The U.S.-coalition military campaign that deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the spring of 2003 has placed Iraq in a much-improved situation today, Vice President Richard B. Cheney said.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - U.S. soldiers are teaming up with Afghan National Police to bring security to a key area of eastern Afghanistan by reaching out to residents and coordinating with leaders about their needs.

BAGHDAD - Inspired by his sons who joined the Marines, Army Maj. (Dr.) Robert Sexton returned to military service after a 38-year break. "I'm still physically fit," Sexton said. "I thought I could make a contribution."

JOINT SECURITY STATION SAB AL BOUR, Iraq - The national symbol of Iraq was raised over the governance center in Sab al Bour, northwest of Baghdad, symbolizing the transition of control of a security station from the coalition forces back to the Iraqi government.